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 New programme and course on mountain EbA28.10.2017The Mountain Institute (TMI) launched its new Mountain Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Programme, which seeks to increase the use of ecosystem-based approaches to help mountain communities adapt to climate change. The three-year programme will expand the use of nature-based solutions in key mountain areas of Nepal, Peru and Uganda and will promote the incorporation of EbA approaches in policies and ongoing efforts in Bhutan, Colombia and Kenya. As part of an overall strategy for helping people adapt to the risks of climate change, EbA links traditional biodiversity and ecosystem conservation approaches with sustainable socio-economic development. Human resilience is strongly dependent on healthy ecosystems, particularly in high mountain regions where people rely on their surrounding environment for water, food, pasture and the raw materials for their livelihoods. EbA is a “people-centric” approach that focuses on solutions that build resilience into both human and natural systems. Where mountains are concerned, the benefits of EbA are felt within mountain communities and in downstream towns and cities. For example, EbA measures in mountains can offer natural solutions for improving water availability and quality while also reducing erosion and the risk of landslides. This benefits people and wildlife, both in mountains and further downstream. At the same time, EbA solutions offer local communities new livelihood options or bolster traditional livelihoods. According to Erin Gleeson, Associate Director and Global Team Leader of TMI’s new programme, “The EbA approach is increasingly recognized as an important strategy for adapting to the impacts of climate change. It is cost-effective, delivers multiple benefits upstream and down, and can be implemented by remote mountain communities themselves. However, on-the-ground EbA measures have not been widely implemented in mountain areas. Our new programme will build support for these EbA approaches in mountains, both in communities and in national and international policies. The Mountain EbA Programme aims to expand recent EbA work in Nepal, Peru and Uganda during the Mountain EbA Flagship Programme, and will encourage the adoption of the EbA approach in Bhutan, Colombia and Kenya.” The new Mountain EbA Programme is supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). The programme is led by TMI and implemented jointly with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and country partners from 2017 to 2020. TMI and IUCN will offer a training course on “Mainstreaming EbA into development planning” immediately following the Mountain Partnership Global Meeting on 14-15 December 2017 in Rome, Italy. The course has been developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit to enhance capacities among partners to strengthen the consideration and selection of EbA measures as part of an overall adaptation strategy and successfully tap the potential of ecosystem services for climate change adaptation. The two-day training session, which will focus specifically on mountains, will allow participants to become familiar with the latest international political and conceptual discussions on EbA mainstreaming issues and provides an overview on the basic steps of the EbA mainstreaming cycle. To register to participate in the course, complete the application form and return it to [email protected] by 8 November 2017. Download the EbA course flyer Photo: Vidal Rondan Ramírez |
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